Ian Hay

“ What pay do they get, for goodness' sake?’
‘They don’t need to worry about their pay. These lads mostly live in marble mansions on Fifth Avenue, and they go into the ranks just to show that there is no social side about them. Remember you are in a democratic country. Some of their ideas of duty are exactly opposed to ours. We take commissions, to show our sense of responsibility: they refuse them, to show their sense of sportsmanship. ”

“ The American citizen was charged to buy a Liberty Bond for the baby, and he bought one. He was commanded to give until it hurt, and he gave. Never was there a more spontaneous outpouring of the natural spirit of a generous people. ”

“ There are one or two real artists at the job, I will admit. Some of them have had a royal time of it.’
‘Couldn't your Embassy people have put them in clink—on suspicion, or something?’
‘You can't put people in clink, on suspicion, or anything else, when they are living under the protection of somebody else’s flag, my lad. But now, with all our flags pooled, so to speak, we have a legal footing over here, and I intend to get busy with the dragnet.’
‘Well, I suppose it takes all sorts to make a war,’ remarked Jimmy Blackadder tolerantly. ‘An army, too, for that matter. ”

“ Tilford, and thank you!’
‘There,’ observed Conway, surveying Tom Winter's retreating form, ‘goes a man who would give his best boots to be standing in my shoes! Who wouldn’t, for that matter?’
He squeezed Geraldine's fingers exultantly.
‘Now don’t be silly,’ she replied, highly flattered.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting, old man,’ said Winter to his guest as he joined him in the lounge a moment later, ‘but you shouldn’t be so coy. There was a pretty lady asking to be introduced to you.’
For once Jimmy Blackadder was not interested in pretty ladies. ”

“ But the powers that be over here—or rather the powers behind the powers that be—have just signified their appreciation of the patriotism and trustworthiness of the men who are going to fight for them by restricting the privilege of alcoholic refreshment to those who are not. No American soldier in uniform is allowed to come within twenty yards of a drink.’
‘Officers included?’
‘Officers included. We British have therefore agreed among ourselves not to add to the sufferings of our esteemed colleagues by drinking in their presence, that's all. ”

“ Permission was readily granted to the Allies to seek recruits among their own compatriots settled upon American soil; and, when the inevitable difficulties connected with wives and children and separation allowances had been adjusted to a scale commensurate with American standards of living, some thirty thousand expatriated Britons duly returned to Europe to fight for the flag under which they had been born. ”

“ He has just arrived, and is feeling thirsty.’ He offered his hand, awkwardly, hating himself for not being able to say something graceful.
‘Are you coming to Captain Conway's lecture?’ asked Geraldine, with an eager pressure from her slim fingers. ‘Carnegie Hall, next Thursday, for Allied War Charities. I have a box right next the stage. ”

“ Later it became necessary to provide every man engaged upon legitimate civilian work with a certificate of exemption, to be shown to any patriotically disposed persons who might desire to examine his credentials as a preliminary to lynching him for a spy or manhandling him for a shirker. ”

“ The car was found weeks later at Havre, so presumably he took ship from there. After all, a man with the pay of a Division in his possession, in convenient currency, ought to be able to fix up a little matter like that. ”